Advice On 2006 Dodge Caravan's Brake Pedal
posted on 03/13/2009
It sounds like you have an air bubble in your brake fluid line. This sometimes occurs when the wrong calipers are installed during a tire change, and typically presents as spongy-feeling brakes, or intermittent "soft" brakes. You need to bleed the brakes, which is a fairly simple procedure. Get a friend to help you.
Here's what you'll need:
-a crescent wrench 4"
-a clear rubber tube/pipe running into a cup or container (empty milk cartons work well)to catch brake fluid
-a good buddy to lend a foot for a good cause
Position your buddy in the driver's seat, with a foot on the brakes, while you get under the car.
Locate the bleed nipple on the brake caliper behind the tire wheel. It has a screw on it. (If you need a visual aid, see the reference http://www.flickr.com/photos/7328220@N02/3280107200/)
Place the one end of the rubber tube over the end of the nipple. Run the other end of the tube into the container.
Now, wake your buddy up (NO SLEEPING BEHIND THE WHEEL!!! lol) and have him pump the brake twice, then hold it down while you loosen the screw on the nipple (just about a half-turn with the crescent wrench should be enough). The brake fluid will squirt out, and you should see the air bubble(s) flowing out with the fluid through the tube into the cup. Only let out the brake fluid for a second or two, then re-tighten the screw, and have your buddy lift his foot completely off the brake.
Repeat procedure as needed.
Note: Be careful to minimize splatter of the expelled brake fluid, as it is a very corrosive substance that will eat through metals over time. Make sure you thoroughly rinse any surface (and that means YOU, too!) that has come into contact with the brake fluid with lots and lots of water.
Here is a pretty good site that might have more info relating to your particular problem:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1bc2dd!make=Dodge&model=Caravan&ed_makeindex=.f1bc2dd
Have your buddy test the pressure by pumping the brakes. If it feels like it's back to normal, you can stop here. If it still feels funny, repeat the above procedure once or twice more. Although this should work about 95% of the time for DIY-ers, if you still have issues, you might want to take your car to a shop and have your brakes professionally checked and pressurized. Hope this helped you, Good Luck and be safe!
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